Men at Arms
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| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
|---|---|
| Adapted as a play by Stephen Briggs. | |
Men at Arms is the 15th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett first published in 1993. It is the second novel about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch on the Discworld. Lance-constable Angua von Überwald, later in the series promoted to the rank of Sergeant, is introduced in this book. Lance-constable (in the course of the novel promoted to Acting-constable) Detritus is introduced as a new member of the watch as well, though he had already appeared in other Discworld novels, most notably in Moving Pictures. Also notable is the only appearance of Lance-constable Cuddy (also promoted to Acting-constable).
Plot
Edward d'Eath, an Assassin and son of a down-and-out noble family, becomes convinced that the restoration of the Ankh-Morpork monarchy will solve the social change he perceives everywhere in the city and blames for his family's humbling. Obsessively researching the history of the royal family, he becomes convinced that an heir to the throne is still alive, and actually living within Ankh-Morpork, but these efforts are met with skepticism by his peers.
Meanwhile, Captain Samuel Vimes, captain of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, is confronted by new problems. About to be married to Sybil Ramkin, richest woman in Ankh-Morpork, he has to deal with the new recruits first: a dwarf, a troll, and a werewolf, representatives of ethnic minorities in the city. He also has to figure out who stole a mysterious device from the Assassins' Guild and solve a string of gruesome, seemingly random murders.
As the story progresses, it is made clear that d'Eath has stolen the 'gonne,' the Disc's first and only handheld firearm. He meant to use it to set the rightful king on the throne, but the device (invented by Leonard of Quirm) appears to have a strange mind of its own. After d'Eath takes it to Dr. Cruces, head of the Assassin's Guild, along with his evidence of the king's identity, he is murdered by Dr. Cruces who then becomes a puppet of the gonne.
The Watch foil his attempt on the Patrician's life, losing Cuddy in the process, and Vimes and Carrot tail him into the sewers. After a brief struggle, Vimes manages to take the gonne and corner Cruces in his office in the Assassin's Guild. With Carrot's help, he resists the weapon's allure and Carrot, learning of his apparent heritage as the heir, kills Dr. Cruces with his distinctly non-magic sword. The gonne is destroyed, and Vimes takes over in the revived post of Commander of the Watch; Carrot discounts Cruces' evidence and continues to be a watchman. The notion of returning the city's king is soon forgotten.
Translations
- Въоръжени мъже (Bulgarian)
- Muži ve zbrani (Czech)
- Te wapen (Dutch)
- Relvis mehed (Estonian)
- Vartiosto valmiina palvelukseen (Finnish)
- Le Guet des Orfèvres (French), the 36 Quai des Orfèvres is one of the addresse of Paris's Prefecture of Police
- Helle Barden (German) (Meaning "bright (clever) bards", though "Hellebarde" means halberd)
- אנשי המשמר (Anshey HaMishmar, lit. Men of the Guard) (Hebrew)
- Uomini d'arme (Italian)
- Zbrojni (Polish)
- К оружию! К оружию! (Russian) (Meaning To Arms! To Arms!)
- Oružane snage (Serbian)
- Hombres de armas (Spanish)
- En man på sin vakt (Swedish) (Meaning A man on his guard)
- Fegyverbe! Fegyverbe! (Hungarian) (Meaning To arms! or At arms!), Fegyvertársak (Comrades-in-arms) in the new edition.
- Helle Barden (German)